Nightmare
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: So this is based off two prompts I got. TW for mention of suicide (in a dream - no-one actually dies). Emma has to calm Regina after a nightmare she had - butterflykisses0. Regina has a nightmare and Emma's there for her. – Regina fan


_So this is based off two prompts I got. TW for mention of suicide (in a dream - no-one actually dies). Apologies for any mistakes. I don't own Once or its characters. This does end with SQ fluff. Hope you all enjoy :) _

_Emma has to calm Regina after a nightmare she had - butterflykisses0_

_Regina has a nightmare and Emma's there for her. – Regina fan_

* * *

_"I have to give up the thing I love most" I say turning to look at first my son then Emma. I have to give them up to save them. One who l love so dearly and hope he knows it, the other who I've never found the courage to tell my feelings. _

_I can feel my heart tearing in two as we make our way to the town line. _

_"You're not a villain. You're my Mom" the words cause a sad smile to grace my lips. He loves me. He does love me. And soon he'll be gone. _

_I turn to Emma once I've hugged Henry goodbye. She won't remember either. She was so close. She has parents, she has friends, a life here. I should have told her the truth I think as my heart aches. All I can give her is a happy ending. A life for her and Henry that she dreamed she could have. "You'll never have given up. You'll always have been together. You'll have a good life." I promise. It takes all I have not to cry but I need to be strong right now to do this. I can see the tears on Emma's face. _

_"It won't be real" _

_"The past won't be but your future will" _

_I turn as the Bug begins to drive away. I can't watch them leave. _

_We land in the Enchanted Forest. I'm with all these people but I've never felt more alone. All I want are the two who will never remember me. _

_I try to bury my heart in my chest hoping something will crush it. I don't bury it deep. I don't care, I just want it all to end. _

_Snow makes me put it back in. It hurts. Everything hurts. Every moment of every day is full of pain and memories and dreams of what might have been. Sometimes I find myself crying as I walk, as I talk, without even realising it the sorrow just overflows. _

_A year passes and we end up in Storybrooke. The hell starts all over again. I wake up and it's as if they've only just gone. Fresh misery wracks through me. _

_Every day I wake up the same way. Pain cleaving my heart in two. Having to live in a house of ghosts. His pictures are all still here. So is his room and his book but he is not. _

_The loneliness claws away at me as I begin to wish desperately for them to come back. I find myself sitting outside of the apartment weeping. Snow and Charming open the door but never say a word. I just sit clinging to the black coat she wore in Neverland and a book of fairytales he was never without. _

_The years pass and they're still gone. I can't take it anymore. Each breathe feels like swallowing glass. I watch as everyone else moves on but I can't. There is no happiness, just thick cloying misery. _

_I stand by the docks exhausted by my own pain. _

_Maybe one day we'll meet again I think as I step off the pier. I sob as I plunge beneath the water, my tears mingling with the waves. No-one to mourn, no-one to save me. Darkness._

* * *

Regina bolts upright gasping for breath as a loud sob wracks her frame. She takes several deep panting breaths as she tries to calm herself down. _It was just a dream_ she thinks as she feels the tears roll down her cheeks.

"Regina?" Emma asks sleepily as she wakes to the sound of sobbing, a sound that makes her heart ache. She wonders if this was the same nightmare again. Each time it happens she curse Pan a little more for separating them in the first place.

"Hey, Regina" she says softly before sitting up.

"I'm fine" Regina says in response, her voice hoarse from crying. _She's here. She's right here. They came back to me. _

"Regina" Emma says knowingly scooting closer to her girlfriend. She wraps an arm around the brunette's shaking shoulders before rubbing slow circles on her upper arm. "It's okay. I'm right here. Okay. We came back. You're not alone. You never have to be alone again."

Regina leans her head against Emma's shoulders desperately needing the contact of the other woman to reassure her of her reality. "It all felt so real" she whispers against Emma's bare shoulder.

"I know" Emma replies. Regina has told her about this dream many times, of the crushing despair and loneliness, of the pain and heartache and of her greatest fear – Henry and herself not coming back for her. "You know I would always have come back to you right?"

Regina looks up at her sadly, "You might not have. What if your memories hadn't returned Emma? I could have ended up all alone. That nightmare could all have been real."

"But it isn't Regina. The magic worked. We came back. We remember. You and I, we broke the curse Regina. Our magic. Our love. Trust me I would always have made my way back to you. I love you."

"I love you too" Regina replies before pulling Emma in for a tight hug. Emma wastes no time in wrapping her arms around Regina knowing that it's after these nightmares that she needs the big bear hugs to make her feel safe. "I don't know what I would have done had you never come back."

"Luckily we'll never ever to find out" Emma says running her hands soothingly over Regina's back and resting her head against the other woman's. A small knock on the door makes them both raise their heads slightly.

"Henry?" Emma calls out keeping Regina secure in her arms.

"I heard Mom crying and then you guys talking" he explains as he joins their hug, "Did you have the nightmare again?" he asks.

Regina looks up at him surprised, "How?"

"I heard you the past couple of times" he says with a shrug, "I know normally Ma helps but we're both here Mom. We'll never leave you again."

Regina smiles, "I know Henry. You should get some sleep."

He nods, "So should you. I think just to be safe I should stay here."

"Henry you don't have to do that." Regina replies ruffling his hair, "I'll be fine."

"Yeah well you used to stay with me when I had nightmares so it's only fair if I do the same when you have them" he reasons.

Emma gives her son a warm happy smile and mouths "thank you" before kissing Regina on the top of her curls, "You heard him. We're staying right here with you."

Regina smiles as Emma lays them down with Henry grabbing the blankets and tugging it up over all of them. He falls asleep first his light snores echoing through the room as Emma and Regina hold each other. Emma runs her thumb over Regina's cheek, "You okay?" she asks.

The brunette nods before giving her a small smile, "Much better"

Emma grins before kissing her, "Good. We're right here" she adds as she waits for Regina to fall back asleep.

_Thanks for the prompts and thank you all for reading :)_


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